Apparatus for peeling vegetables or fruits

ABSTRACT

This invention provides a peeling cylinder whose peripheral wall is made up of abrasive peeling rolls and through the center of which a feed screw extends to progress material through for peeling. The rolls are all rotated at the same r.p.m. in speed but certain rolls are of smaller diameter to provide longitudinally extending recesses or pockets to provide both a lifting action on the material being peeled to increase the effective peeling time on this material, and also to provide a differential speed between adjacent rolls of different diameter so as to further enhance the peeling action.

United States Patent 21 inventor 'TraverLSmith San Jose, Calif. [21 IAppl. No. 749,832 [22] Filed Aug.2,1968 [45] Patented Mar. 2, 1971 [73]Assignees Geneieve LHanscom Saratoga, Calif. Geneieve 1. Magnuson;Robert Magnuson: Los J. Thomson, trustees of the Estate of Roy M.Magnuson, a fractional part I interest to each [54] APPARATUS FORPEELING VEGETABLES OR Primary ExaminerAndrew R. Juhasz AssistantExaminer-F. R. Bilinsky Altorney-Allen and Chromy ABSTRACT: Thisinvention provides a. peeling cylinder whose peripheral wall is made upof abrasive peeling rolls and through the center of which a feed screwextends to progress material through for peeling. The rolls are allrotated at the same rpm. in speed but certain rolls are of smallerdiameter to provide longitudinally extending recesses or pockets toprovide both a lifting action on the material being peeled to increasethe effective peeling time on this material, and also to provide adifferential speed between adjacent rolls of different diameter so as tofurther enhance the peeling action.

1 PATENTEUHAR 2mm l I IIIII INVENTOR. TRAVER J. SMITH ATTORNEYS tainadjacent pairs of rolls which rotate at APPARATUS FOR rssrmcvrzcarxstsson rnunrs DESCRIPTION OF THE INYENTION The present invention relates toapparatus for peeling vegetables or fruits 'by abrasive methods and isconcerned more particularly with improvements in such apparatus whichwill promote the peeling action, both'by lengthening the peeling timeand by providing an effective differential peeling action betweencertain adjacent rolls to enhance the amount and quality of the peeling.I "1 Theapparatus is of thegeneral character disclosed in the patent toDorsa et al. No. 3,143,413, issued May 26, 1964.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide an abrasivevegetable peeler wherein, in apeeling cylinder whose periphery is madeup of peeling rolls, a longer peeling action is obtained by increasingthe lift of the product during the travel up one side of the cylinder.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cylinder of 20 theabove character having peeling rolls forming its periphery whereinlongitudinally extending're'cesses or pockets are provided to not onlylift .the material being peeled further up the wall of the peelingcylinder, but also to-enhance the peeling action by obtaining adifferential peeling effect between cerdifferent peripheral speeds. I

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description of a preferred embodiment thereof, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which: V I

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the peeling apparatusembodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken'in a plane indicated by theline 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary schematic view generally similar to FIG. 2 butillustrating in greater detail the arrangement of the peeling rolls toobtain the longitudinal recesses and the dif ferential peeling action.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, the peeling apparatus of the instantinvention includes a frame I upon which e rotary drum 1! is mounted forrotation by means of a plurality of trunnion rollers 12 engagingrespective end rings 13 and 14 of the drum 11 which have horizontallyextending rolls l6 journaledtherein to form the periphery of the drum orcylinder. Suitable tie bars (not shown) extend between the end rings 13and 14. A suitable cover 17' is provided] for the apparatus. The

2 the pending application of Ralph K. Daugherty; Ser. No. 578,747,filedSept. 12, 1966, for APPARATUS FOR PEEL- ING VEGETABLES 0R FRUITS,and now U.S. Pat. No. 3,437,116, for details of construction notspecifically described herein. I

Referring to FIGS; 1, 2 and 3, the peeling rolls 16 are journaled in theend rings 13 and 14, as previously described, and their axes lie on acommon circle concentric with the axis of the cylinder, alternate rolls16a and 16b being of different diameters but driven at the same numberof revolutions per minute by a suitable ring gear. The rolls 16!), beingof smaller diameter than the rolls 16a, have their working surfacesfacing the center of the cylinder at a greater radial distance R-l fromthe axis of the cylinder than the radial distance R-2 of the workingsurfaces of the rolls 161 (FIG, 3) so that a longitudinally extendingrecess or pocket 21 :is provided adjacent each of the rolls 16b. Whilethese pockets are defined as shown by a roll 16b between two rolls 1.6a,it is obvious that other combinations of varying diameters can be usedto provide an axially extending or longitudinally extending pocket forlifting the material further up the ascending portion of the path-alongthe peeling cylinder to obtain a longer peeling time. Also, the rolls16a and 16b, being driven at the same number of revolutions per minutebut having a different diameter, havea different peripheral speed sothat between each pair of rolls 16a and 16b there is provided adifferential peeling action on any material engaged therewith, such asthe potato 22 shown in FIG. 3.

While I have shown and described a preferred form of the invention, itwill be apparent that the invention can be varied and modified from theform shown so that the scope thereof should be limited only by theproper scope of the claims appended hereto.

lclaim:

1. In an abrasive peeling machine, a frame, a cylinder mounted on saidframe for rotation about a horizontal axis, the peripheral wall of saidcylinder comprising a plurality of parallel horizontally disposedpeeling rolls, each roll including a working surface disposed in facingrelation to the axis of said cylinder, the radial distances of saidworking surfaces of certain of said rolls from said axis being differentthan the radial distances from said axis of the working surfaces ofothers of said rolls to provide longitudinally extending pockets orrecesses in said peripheral wall to provide a lifting action on drum andthe individual peeling rolls 16 are driven in a suita- I ble fashionfrom a main shaft 18, as described in detail in said U.S. Pat. No.3,134,413. A screw conveyor 19 is carried by the shaft 18 and serves toprogress objects along through the abrasive cylinder formed by thepeeling rolls 16 from right to left, as viewed in FIG. I.

Reference is made to said U.S. Pat. No. 3,l34,4l3 and to material beingpeeled, and means for driving said rolls to provide a differentialsurface speed between adjacent rolls having different radial spacings.

2. In an abrasive peeling machine as recited in claim 1 in which theaxes of the rolls lie on the same circle concentric with the axis of thecylinder, and said rolls vary in diameter.

3. In an'abrasive peeling machine as recited in claim 2 in which everyother roll around the periphery forms a series of rolls of one diameter,and in which the'other alternating rolls in said cylinder provide aseries of rolls of a reduced diameter.

1. In an abrasive peeling machine, a frame, a cylinder mounted on saidframe for rotation about a horizontal axis, the peripheral wall of saidcylinder comprising a plurality of parallel horizontally disposedpeeling rolls, each roll including a working surface disposed in facingrelation to the axis of said cylinder, the radial distances of saidworking surfaces of certain of said rolls from said axis being differentthan the radial distances from said axis of the working surfaces ofothers of said rolls to provide longitudinally extending pockets orrecesses in said peripheral wall to provide a lifting action on materialbeing peeled, and means for driving said rolls to provide a differentialsurface speed between adjacent rolls having different radial spacings.2. In an abrasive peeling machine as recited in claim 1 in which theaxes of the rolls lie on the same circle concentric with the axis of thecylinder, and said rolls vary in diameter.
 3. In an abrasive peelingmachine as recited in claim 2 in which every other roll around theperiphery forms a series of rolls of one diameter, and in which theother alternating rolls in said cylinder provide a series of rolls of areduced diameter.